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10 to Comprehend: Who are the best pure scorers in the area?

Unioto's Nehemiah Felts carries the football last Friday against Zane Trace at Unioto High School. Felts has caught 13 passes this season and averages 16.8 yards per reception.(Photo: Joshua Anderson/For the Gazette)Buy Photo

This week's "10 to Comprehend" answers those questions as it recognizes just some of the area's best scorers in each sport.

We'll start on the cross country trails where, per usual, Chillicothe's Laikin Tarlton has dominated all year long. Tarlton is a mainstay inside any race's top 10 and she has habitually carried the Cavaliers to impressive team finishes. With teammates Abby Sullivan and Ella Cuzzolini following her lead, Chillicothe's girls can potentially make some noise inside a Division I tournament race.

If you haven't heard of Waverly's magnificent scoring duo of Zoiee Smith and Loren Moran, don't be surprised if you hear their names on a regular basis over the next three years. Both freshmen, Smith and Moran have paced the Tigers to a 6-3 overall record while combining for 32 goals and 14 assists.

Speaking of goals, if you took Southeastern's McKinley Mitten over the field in who would lead the area in goals, you made a smart investment. Mitten has 21 goals for the Panthers this season, who sit at 6-6-1. As a team, SE has 32 goals. If you're doing the math, Mitten is responsible for 66 percent of the team's total offense.

I had the chance to watch Unioto's Nehemiah Felts this past Friday and the kid can flat out fly. In open space, you're not catching him. On the year, Felts has caught 13 passes for 219 yards, a startling 16.8 yards per reception. He's scored only twice but expect that number to rise in the coming weeks.

While Piketon is just 1-4 as a team, you have to think the Redstreaks have a bright future ahead of them. Much of that hope can be attributed to sophomore quarterback Connor Galloway, who has impressed all season long. Galloway has completed 76-of-137 pass attempts, 55 percent, for 1,018 yards and seven scores. He's only going to get better over the next two seasons.

Paint Valley picked up a big win last week over Huntington, a victory where the Bearcats rode the legs of running back Macky McDonald. While he didn't score in the win, he upped his season rushing total to 507 yards. McDonald has scored four total touchdowns and constantly puts his team in the red zone with tough runs.

When looking at bounce back wins, you also have to throw in Westfall, a 34-27 winner over Adena in Week 5. Once again, quarterback Zach Gibson was outstanding, practically dismantling the Warriors' defense himself. So far, he's scored 10 total touchdowns while passing for 971 yards on 68 completions. He's also rushed for 371 yards on 51 attempts. He can whatever it takes to win.

Zane Trace's volleyball team has been up and down this season with a couple losses coming in tough five-set matches. However, no matter the outcome, Evie Bennett has been flawless. Bennett has totaled 141 kills, 251 digs, 36 aces and 24 assists. She's one of the more underrated players in the league and deserves credit.

We all know Adena's Lanie Shea and the talent she possesses on the court. But Shea has taken on an even bigger role in this year's offense and, as we would expect, has handled it very well. So far, Shea owns 127 kills, 156 digs,16 blocks, 16 aces and 289 assists. We're only halfway through.

At one point, Huntington was just 2-7 on the year. The Huntsmen are now 7-9 and it's not just Riley Black and Braiden Collins leading the troops. Next time you get the chance, watch Gus Hooks. A lot of times, Hooks is overshadowed by Black and Collins but she's just as important to the team's success. Hooks has 77 kills, 84 digs and 136 assists this season. Without her, Huntington isn't a complete team.

Reach Derrick Webb at drwebb@chillicothegazette.com or at 740-773-9304. Follow him on Twitter at @dw1509 or on Instagram at @chilligazsports.